Nightmares of Dragons
by Gemini14
Summary: RK X1999 Crossover. What does the apocolypse have to do with two warriors from Japan's past? And what will happen when they find out?
1. Premonition

Nightmares of Dragons

Prologue: Premonition

It had started as a normal dream; nothing too spectacular about it. He appeared to be standing on the edge of a pristine lake; the scene bathed in the softest of moonlight. Overhead, the forest canopy opened to reveal a star-studded sky. In short, it was an idyllic midnight scene. Then, suddenly, a scent came to the dreamer's nose.

"_Sakura? Isn't it a little early in the year for it?_" he wondered, as he turned and walked away from the lake's shore, and towards the scent's origin. And yet, as he moved ever closer to the smell, another one came with it; and it sent the alarm bells in his mind off.

"_Blood! Someone has just died here!_" the dreamer yelped, as he rushed to the scene. He skidded to a halt when he saw someone up ahead; apprehension settling heavily over him when he recognized the man before him.

"_Baka deshi? What are you doing here?_" he asked, a chill running down his spine when the other slowly turned to face him...and amber pierced that darkness between them. But that wasn't all the dreamer saw; for now he could see where the blood scent was coming from. From the other man's chest, all the way to his feet, he was soaked in another person's blood. There was even some on his face, just under his now-impassive golden eyes, as well as on the sword the man now carried.

"_Kenshin, what have you done?_" the dreamer asked, aghast and more than just a little sickened by what he could now see was a scene of wholesale slaughter. Men, women, and even children lay dead before the hitokiri; butchered like so many cattle.

"_Soon_..._the 'Kamui' will awaken_..._and destiny will be fulfilled. The earth cries out for change_..._Therefore, there can be only one future_..." the other man murmured, in a monotone, as he raised his sword, and prepared to attack. With a quick leap back, the dreamer reached for his own sword; unnerved to discover that it wasn't at his side.

"_Where_..." the dreamer wondered, as he dodged a blow from the man's blade; looking to the left when something caught his eye. There, sticking up from the ground with its' point buried in the bloodstained earth, was an ornate great-sword. The guard of the sword seemed to be finely engraved; a masterpiece that any ordinary swordsmith would be hard-put to duplicate...and one the dreamer desperately grabbed to defend himself from 'Kenshin's' attack. With more strength than he could have given him credit for, 'Kenshin' pressed the dreamer back; forcing him to maintain his defense, and not allowing him to use any offensive moves. It was when they locked blades for a brief moment that the dreamer was able to see what kind of sword 'Kenshin' now used...It was an exact replica of the one he was using now!

"_But what does it mean? Why are there twin swords? And what is our connection to them, and the 'Kamui'?_" the dreamer wondered; uttering a gasp when the point of the other sword pierced his shoulder just a little bit as he leaped back a safe distance from the dead-eyed killer in front of him.

"_There can be only one future_..."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

With a desperate gasp, the man who had been dreaming bolted upright in his futon. For a few, heart-pounding moments, he looked around; making absolutely certain that he was alone in his simple home. Then he forced himself to calm down, and his racing heart to resume its' usual rhythm.

"_What the hell was that? Was it a dream? A nightmare? Or something else entirely?_" the man wondered, as he pushed what remained of the blanket covering him, aside, and got up. He shuddered a little bit as he walked outside; it was still a little cold out, hinting that winter had not relinquished its' hold on the area completely yet (it also didn't help matters any that he was completely soaked in sweat). Above him, the stars glittered in the deep blue velvet of a predawn sky; reminding him a little too much of the dream he'd just awakened from.

"But what could it mean? Has he started killing again?" the man murmured, as a nameless dread settled itself firmly within him. And Hiko Seijuro the Thirteenth could not, for the life of him, figure out why.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Meanwhile, miles away, another man was awakening from a similar nightmare. With a horrified gasp, Kenshin Himura bolted upright in his bed.

"_Shishou_..._Why? What was the meaning of that? One future? The 'Kamui'? Twin swords? What does it all mean?_" Kenshin wondered, as he walked out of his room, and into the cool morning air; desperately hoping that a walk would clear his head and help him think. Even though it was very early in the morning, he could hear the sounds of those who normally were up at that time; morning commuters, students to the schools that were situated close by, and even some early-morning joggers could be heard moving past the dojo. With a sad smile, Kenshin looked up at the old dojo. He had not expected to outlive Kaoru, since he'd been eleven years her senior by the time they'd met, that misty morning over one hundred years before.

"_And yet, how much harder had it been for you, Shishou, when your wife died from old age?_ _From what you had been willing to tell me, you'd had to leave what family you'd had left, behind, never to return._" Kenshin wondered, before his mind returned to the gruesome vision he'd seen in his dream. Why had his master butchered those people? And why had they been using twin swords?

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Himura-san!" a girl's voice called, cheerfully, tearing Kenshin's attention away from his grim musings, for a moment.

"Kotori-dono! Fuma-kun! Ohayo gozaimasu! Heading off to school, sessha sees." Kenshin said, in response, as a pair of siblings paused beside him.

"Hai. We haven't seen too much of you lately, Himura-san. Have you been feeling all right?" the girl, Kotori, asked; with concern in her crystalline blue eyes for him.

"No need to worry. Just a little lonely, is all. How is your father? Is everything well at Togakushi Shrine?" Kenshin in turn asked, conversationally. The young man, Fuma, nodded.

"He seems to be doing all right, healthwise; but I think he still mourns for Mother." Fuma replied, softly; a hint of sadness emerging in his mahogany eyes at the thought. Kenshin nodded in understanding. He could remember very clearly the morning when the pair's mother had been found dead within the shrine; her body having been savagely torn to pieces the night before.

"Let sessha know if any of you need anything, okay?" Kenshin said, as Fuma smiled and nodded.

"Will do. See you later, then." Fuma stated, as he started pedaling off; with Kotori waving at the former rurouni as they went. Kenshin waved back until they had disappeared around a corner, and then his misgivings returned.

"_After so many centuries of life, why have you started killing again, Shishou? It just doesn't make sense!_" Kenshin thought, shuddering as he remembered the image of his master standing over the corpses of those people; and the soulless amber eyes that had stared at him so coldly...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Hinoto sighed as she sensed the confusion coming from the two men, and their shared horror at the gruesome quality of their dreams.

"_It is to be expected, I suppose_..._since they are both Dragons from a previous generation. I can only wonder what the future holds in store for them, since even I can't see it._" she quietly mused, as she gazed softly at the inheritors of the Mitsurugi Ryu, and wished she could ease their fears; knowing that she couldn't reach them because of the amount of power they held.

"_Soon 'Kamui' will return. I wonder what part these two will play in the battles to come?_" Hinoto murmured, as the image of the fire-haired Fourteenth master, and the white-mantled Thirteenth master faded from before her; leaving only the darkness of her shrine as company.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**I know this is a very odd idea for a crossover, but this is one idea that has refused to leave me alone! Hope this doesn't confuse too many people, and I also hope that I can manage a few surprises in this fic! Thanks for reading!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	2. From the Turbulent Past

Chapter Two: From the Turbulent Past...

He'd felt the urge to return for a number of years, before he'd finally carried through with his plan to do so. With the skill and cunning learned from almost two lifetimes' worth of living, he'd stowed away on a cargo ship bound for Japan. He only truly wondered what had brought him back to the land of his birth after the ship had docked in the harbor.

"_The city sure has changed since I left it behind, all those years ago_..._Never thought I would actually be returning here._" he mused, as he carefully emerged from the ship and made his way out of the shipyard. He'd almost reached the gates, when a voice called out to him from the shadows.

"Well, well. This is certainly an unexpected sight. What brings you here?" a male voice asked, as the owner of it emerged from the shadows. The stowaway only smirked, and stood where he was; seemingly casual as the other man approached.

"Depends on what you mean." the stowaway replied, calmly; even though he was carefully watching for any signs that a fight was about to begin.

"A little while ago, I'd sensed that there was someone here that had something to do with the Dragons of Heaven...I never would have guessed that a Dragon from a previous generation would be arriving tonight." the other man said, with a seemingly benign smile, then added, "My name is Kigai Yuto, by the way."

"Sagara Sanosuke." the stowaway replied, sensing that things were about to get very messy, and standing up straighter; prepared for anything.

"Sagara Sanosuke...The man who'd left his country as a wanted man a little over one hundred years ago, and returned to it as one of a previous generation of Seven Seals. I can only wonder if you've learned how to control your power yet?" Yuto questioned, getting an arched eyebrow from the former street brawler as he said that.

"Again, it depends on what you mean. I've learned a lot in the almost one hundred and thirty years I have lived...and seen a lot of things that had changed me from who I had been when I left this country...But, for old time's sake, I'll 'buy' a fight, for a change." Sanosuke stated, as he strode confidently forward, then held a fist out in front of him, and concentrated. At first, nothing seemed to be happening, and then, a greenish light emanated from the former fighter-for-hire's fist. He then opened his hand, and released the energy into the air between them. When the barrier had finally finished forming, Yuto allowed a low whistle to escape from between his lips. He could see that the man before him had indeed seen much combat since his forced departure from Japan all those years ago; his kekkai was even more massive than those of the present day Seven Seals!

"_It would be a mistake to take him lightly._" Yuto mused, then added, "_But I must see for myself what exactly this man is capable of_..." Without another thought, Yuto launched himself at the wary warrior; sending a wave of water cascading towards him as his way of joining the fight.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Kenshin jerked to attention as something abruptly crossed his senses. For the briefest of moments, he could have sworn he'd heard the roar of a dragon somewhere in the direction of the shipyard; looking in that direction and feeling his mouth go dry when he beheld what stood there.

"_What is __that__? And how did it get there? __Why__ is it there?_" Kenshin wondered, as he, for reasons unknown to him, took off in that direction.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

On the outskirts of the city, another man felt the sudden increase in power, and saw the barrier being put into place in the distance.

"_It seems that the Dragons of Heaven are beginning to gather_..._I can only hope that I make it in time!_" the man thought, as he also started heading for the distant kekkai; his foreboding not lessening in the slightest.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Hinoto watched the goings-on in shock. She had not expected to ever see a previous-generation Dragon erect a kekkai, much less for him to actually be able to fight so strongly!

"_And his kekkai is so much larger than the one Star-Gazer's apprentice had put into place almost a week ago! How could one man have so much power?_" Hinoto wondered, not expecting an answer, when it did come.

"Simple. We've had time to grow in strength, and also in the wisdom to wield that selfsame strength properly." a calm, male voice responded, from the shadows. Alarmed, Sohi and Hien, the two guardians of Hinoto, took up defensive positions in front of the startled Dreamseer, and watched the swatch of darkness the voice had come from. Seconds later, a tall, male figure emerged. He was pale-skinned, with ice-blue eyes and short blue-black hair. He wore a dark sort of uniform under a white trench-coat; his clothing alone being an indication of his true age.

"Who are you? And how did you get down here?" Sohi asked, coolly.

"Former okashira of the Oniwabanshu onmitsu, Shinomori Aoshi. I came here as a result of the events that are being set into motion above us...Namely, the return of 'Kamui', and the theft of the Shinken from Togakushi Shrine." the man replied, in kind; his knowledge of recent events numbing Hinoto to her core.

"Why are you here?" Hien asked, eyeing the onmitsu warily as he moved forward and kneeled before the Dreamseer.

"I, like the man who has returned tonight, have felt the call to return to Tokyo for quite some time now...Like him, I am also one of the Ten no Ryu." Aoshi murmured.

"_Of a previous generation_..._But what would you, or the man I have been watching, still have to protect in this world? What is it that continues to tie you to the realm of the living?_" Hinoto questioned.

"Our descendants. They are the main reasons most of us still exist; even though we haven't met those people who share our blood...They are still precious enough for us to want to protect them from harm." Aoshi replied, looking up when Hinoto breathed a sigh of relief.

"_You indeed speak like a true Dragon of Heaven, Shinomori-san_..._It is an honor to have gotten the chance to speak with you, this night._" Hinoto stated, with a careworn smile.

"And I consider it an equal honor to have gotten the chance to speak to you, Hinoto-hime." Aoshi murmured, as he gracefully got to his feet, bowed, and then silently left the chamber.

"_Take care, Shinomori-san._" Hinoto whispered, even though the warrior in question was already out of earshot.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Kenshin paused to catch his breath at the very edge of the kekkai; uncertainty reigning within him as he cautiously circled it.

"_Such an immense amount of ki! Is this what can truly be done if one's ki is strong enough?_" Kenshin wondered, freezing when a familiar presence crossed his senses.

"So...you have survived as well." Kenshin murmured, as he turned to face the newcomer. Feral amber eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as a man approached him; his aquiline face showing no true emotion, and only a smirk.

"Good to see you too, Battousai." the man stated, coolly, as he stood alongside the former rurouni and gazed up at the shield.

"Sessha didn't even suspect that you had faked your own death, Saito." Kenshin said, as the other swordsman arched an eyebrow in response to that comment.

"Think what you will, Battousai, but we all have this to blame you and that master of yours' for." Saito growled, then added, "I wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for the combined power you two hold."

"Oro?" Kenshin asked, confused by the former Shinsengumi captain's words, and therefore slow to react when he started to enter the field.

"Nevermind." Saito muttered, his exasperation at Kenshin's seeming ignorance becoming well known in his next question, "Are you coming or not?" With an abrupt nod, Kenshin followed Saito into the field; not knowing what they would come across on the other side...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Yuto gasped as he was forced to go on the defensive; blocking as many of the shockwaves Sanosuke was throwing at him as he could.

"_H-he's_..._incredibly strong! This amount of power_..._is __magnitudes__ beyond what that boy had been able to do! Is __this__ what a Ten no Ryu is capable of, after over a century of life?_" Yuto wondered; returning to the here-and-now when another shockwave knocked him off of his feet and sent him flying.

"Feh...What a sorry fight I've bought...I'm starting to see why Saito had had such contempt for me, back then." Sanosuke grumbled, disappointed that the fight seemed to be over.

"Saito...? You don't mean..." Yuto muttered, as he staggered to his feet; blood running freely down one side of his face from a cut just above the eye.

"Hajime Saito, Captain of the Third Shinsengumi Unit? Yeah. He's the one I mean. Why?" Sanosuke questioned, in turn.

"You fought him...and survived?" Yuto asked, stunned by this revelation. Sanosuke snorted and shook his head.

"Survived? He let me live, if that's what you mean...Kinda glad he did, since I'll stand a better chance of finding an even better fight, in the days to come." Sanosuke replied, calmly, as he allowed his kekkai to come down.

"I see...But what is it that keeps you alive?" Yuto again asked, as he shakily got to his feet, and made an attempt to dust himself off. The ex-street brawler shrugged.

"No clue. I've been a little curious about that myself for quite a while, now." Sanosuke admitted, as he picked up his fallen knapsack, and started to walk away. And it was in the light of one of the streetlamps that Yuto saw what had been, and always would be, the mark of Sagara Sanosuke...There was still an 'aku' on the back of his shirt, even though it was a t-shirt, rather than his old tunic.

"_The legendary 'Zanza' has returned_..." Yuto mused, as the man he'd been fighting disappeared from sight, into the street beyond.

"Hn...seems as though we've just missed him." a voice muttered.

"Sessha can't believe it...Sano's alive! And he's just the same as he had been when he'd left Tokyo, all those years ago!" a different voice stated, as the two speakers strode into view, just as Yuto got to his feet. But it was the sight of the two men that almost made Yuto fall over once again; one man was tall, and wore an old police uniform and a katana at his waist. The other man was shorter, and had fiery red hair and a faded, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

"_Himura Kenshin, otherwise known as 'Battousai'_..._and Hajime Saito, the Third Shinsengumi Unit's captain! They are __both__ still alive! Oh, Kanoe-san! What the hell are we getting ourselves into?.!_" Yuto wondered, as he hurried away from the area; all too aware of the icy glare of the old Wolf of Mibu on his own back as he went.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Sorry if there was any confusion in this chapter (and if it seems a little rushed). I am desperately trying to place all of the characters within a certain timeframe, and am having a little more difficulty than I'd thought! Thanks for your patience, minna!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	3. The Coming Storm

Chapter Three: The Coming Storm

A tall figure watched, as the city below him segued into its' morning persona. All around him, he could feel the pulse of the Spirit Shields; each one interlocking with another to form a complex protective barrier around and within the city.

"_The builders of this Tokyo did well, to preserve the existing shields_..._Some have even been strengthened. Yet_..._I can only wonder how long they will stand, when the battle truly gets under way?_" he wondered, a stiff wind blowing past him as someone arrived and stood alongside him.

"Greetings, Seijuro Hiko-san. What brings you here?" a cheery male voice asked, as the owner of it smiled at him.

"Disturbing dreams, and a call no Ten no Ryu or Chi no Ryu can resist." Hiko replied, coolly, then added, "What brought you here?"

"The same thing...except without the dreams, of course. It seems a few others have been called here as well, aside from myself and Saito-san." the man replied, getting a nod from the Thirteenth master for that.

"So it seems. I guess it doesn't matter what generation you are from, the call to stand at 'Kamui's' side can't be ignored." Hiko mused, as they both watched the sunrise; the red-hued sky seeming to foretell the bloody future that waited for them, and the present-day Dragons as well.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

By the time the morning was well-advanced, a heavy rain was falling from the heavens above. Kenshin and Saito both stood on the fringe of a group of mourners, as they came and went; having heard the news about the death of Togakushi Shrine's head priest.

"Sessha still can't believe it...A few short days ago, Monou-san was still alive and well...how could this have happened? And why didn't sessha sense anything was wrong?" Kenshin murmured, angry with himself that he hadn't been there to prevent the senseless murder.

"It could be that the one that had killed the priest was one of the Chi no Ryu, since the Shinken is missing, as well." Saito muttered, watching with narrowed eyes as the weary son of the dead priest approached them.

"Thanks for coming." Fuma murmured, as he bowed politely to them.

"Think nothing of it, Fuma-kun. Sessha should be apologizing for not being here sooner." Kenshin replied, as the teenager gave him a somber look.

"You'd best sit back down, kid, before you fall over." Saito muttered, with a semblance of concern on his lupine features.

"Yeah. Do you want to come in?" Fuma asked. Kenshin replied with only a nod, and followed the teen inside; concerned for him and his sister, first and foremost. Saito remained where he was, and gazed up at the dark clouds above him.

"_It has begun_..._All of the battles that had been fought before, Battousai, have only been precursors for this one. It seems we'll be fighting side-by-side one last time._" Saito mused, as what appeared to be a ghostly wolf appeared beside him, and looked up at him.

"Go find Sojiro; lead him here. Then seek out the Dreamseer who is gathering this generation's Ten no Ryu." Saito quietly ordered, getting a lick on the hand from the inugami, before it flew off in the direction it knew the younger man would be.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_Kamui_..._Where are you?_" Hinoto wondered, as she traveled through her dreams. As she floated through the semi-darkness, she noticed what appeared to be a giant egg hovering there.

"_There is a sword_..._in the egg_..." Hinoto thought, when she'd gotten close enough to see what was within it. Yet, when she turned around, there was another egg behind her, with yet another sword within it!

"_Two! There are __two__ Shinken!_" Hinoto silently yelped, freezing and then turning when she heard two sets of footsteps heading towards her. Shock and confusion reigned within her when she saw that not one, but two Kamuis stood before her.

"_Two of them?.!_" Hinoto thought, as she watched them reach for the swords, and as the eggs holding them crumbled from before their hands. With mirrored gestures, the twin Kamuis summoned the blades into their outstretched hands...no sooner receiving them, then sprouting wings (one had demonic wings, the other, angelic) and launching into a fantastic battle. Hinoto watched in horror as the two fought; eventually disappearing into a dazzling bolt of lightning. She uttered a scream of fright when the backlash washed over her, and then looked up when light returned to the dreamscape.

"_Kamui_..._th-they are gone_..." Hinoto stammered, flinching when blood dripped down her right arm, a hideous momento of the battle she had just witnessed.

"_Why? There were two swords! Two Kamuis! I can't see why!_" Hinoto mused, distressed by what she had seen, and her inability to decipher what it had meant. Little did she realize that it would also tie into what the two Hiten masters had seen, and how affected their futures would soon be by it.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Sanosuke sighed and watched from his tree-branch perch as the crowd in the shrine dissipated; heading their own separate ways into the gloom.

"Had the feeling somethin' like this would happen...Wish I could've been here to try to prevent it." Sanosuke muttered, his eyes softening slightly when he saw how grief-stricken and aimless the two teenagers inside the house looked.

"Hey! You up there!" a boy's voice shouted, startling Sanosuke out of his musings, for a moment.

"What'cha want, kid?" Sanosuke replied, as he looked down at what appeared to be two high-school age boys.

"Just wantin' to know why you're hangin' around here for, that's all." the boy that had spoken said, getting a grim smile from Sano as a response.

"Just had the feelin' that I needed to be here, that's all. What're you two doin' around here? Do ya know the kids that had just lost their dad?" Sanosuke asked, as he descended from the tree and stood before the pair.

"Kamui does, since they're old friends of his. I just met them about a day ago." the teen said, as he gave the shrine a sympathetic look.

"I see. The name's Sagara Sanosuke, by the way; Ten no Ryu of the Meiji Era." Sanosuke said, introducing himself to the pair.

"Whoa...No way! How could you be...?.!" the teen asked, shocked by this turn of events. Sanosuke shrugged.

"Beats me. All I know is that I've survived about a hundred and thirty years just to meet the one called 'Kamui'." Sanosuke said, as he gave the silent boy beside the talkative teen a knowing glance.

"Well, you're in the right place to meet 'im, this time. This is Kamui." the talkative teen stated, as he motioned to the other boy with a grin.

"So I see..." Sanosuke muttered, thoughtfully, as he gazed at the teenager. In his mind's eye, he could almost see two other people mixed into his youthful features...Two people he'd known very well.

"_Wonder if he's related to them?_" Sanosuke wondered, starting a little when the teenager abruptly turned and started to walk away in sullen silence.

"Kamui...Ne, Kamui!" the talkative teen shouted after the retreating youth's back. For a brief moment, Kamui paused and looked back at them with a questioning look in his deep lavender-blue eyes.

"It's finally started, hasn't it? The time is now! The last battle...to decide the fate of this earth." the talkative teen stated. Kamui didn't answer, but instead made to continue walking away. Before he could get very far, however, a hand firmly gripped his shoulder, and gently turned him back around. To his surprise (and that of the other teen, for that matter) Sanosuke was the one who now gazed seriously at him.

"Listen, kid. We both need to hear this, since this thing involves more people than just yourself. Hear your buddy out." Sanosuke murmured, then nodded to the other teen; prompting him to continue.

"The stargazer in Koya...he foretold all of this! He knew that the sword in that shrine would be stolen! I am Arisugawa Sorata, one of the Ten no Ryu." the teen said, introducing himself as he did so, before adding, "Believe me, I understand the sadness of losing a parent. I do. But you...can't escape the weight of your destiny."

"Whether you like it or not, kid, this battle's already begun. The shrine priest was murdered, just so they could take the sword!" another voice stated, as the owner of it approached.

"Well, well. Never expected to see you again, Saito. What brings you here?" Sanosuke asked, hiding his surprise behind a well-honed mask of nonchalance. The Wolf of Mibu only smirked slightly, then glanced at Kamui.

"Apparently the same reason that brought you back here some nights back, Tori-atama." Saito replied; ignoring the stunned looks he was getting from both Sorata and Kamui.

"Who was it...that killed Monou-san?" Kamui finally asked, his voice so quiet that it was almost lost amidst the sound of the rainfall.

"Well, Stargazer told me that Kamui's sword will be taken by one of the Chi no Ryu, and that the next time it appears before him it will have changed it's form." Sorata said.

"That narrows it down, somewhat...Unless some Chi no Ryu from the Meiji Era crop up as well..." Sanosuke muttered, thoughtfully; watching as sorrow entered Kamui's young eyes.

"I only came back here to get that sword! I was going to leave...right after searching for it in Togakushi Shrine." Kamui whispered, as guilt joined the sadness on his young face; a look Sanosuke knew only too well.

"How were you to know what would happen? It wasn't your fault. Believe me, if regret could bring back the dead, then a lot more people wouldn't have had to have met their ends like this." Sanosuke murmured, his eyes taking on an almost wise look as he said that.

"True enough...But Kamui, how did you know about the sword? Did your mother tell you?" Sorata asked, flinching when the other teen gave him a look that could have boiled water.

"I know! How can you ever trust anyone again? How, when murder is all around? When even your only parent can fall? But this...as hard as it is to say, is reality, Kamui...And you have to accept it. The fate of the world rests on those frail shoulders of yours'...whether you like it or not..." Sorata stated, bravely.

"He speaks true..." a woman's voice agreed, from behind the quartet, startling them into turning and facing the newcomer.

"Who's there?.!" Sorata shouted, as he jumped in front of Kamui, and as Sanosuke and Saito watched the just-arriving woman with narrowed eyes; ready for anything.

"You're a rather valiant young man, aren't you?" the woman asked, as recognition appeared in Kamui's eyes.

"I saw you at school..." Kamui said, remembering her as being the nurse he'd met when he'd taken Kotori to the nurse's office. The woman smiled and nodded.

"Hai, that's right. I'm the nurse to whom you brought Monou-san." the woman stated, confirming Kamui's statement.

"The nurse?" Sorata asked, confusedly; just what was she doing there, to begin with?

"What are you doing here, onna?" Saito questioned, seeming a bit frustrated when she only smiled enigmatically, and started to remove her glasses.

"You still don't remember me, Kamui? Don't you recognize my face?" the woman asked, as she looked directly at the teen. For a moment, Kamui stood stock still, shock adorning his young features for just a moment, before one phrase slipped from between his lips.

"Kaa...san?" Kamui whispered, completely thunderstruck by this turn of events. The woman again smiled, and started to approach.

"You've finally remembered." the woman said, ignoring Sorata when he started to spaz out.

"Pardon me, lady, but you don't look old enough to have a fifteen-year-old kid...But, then again, I can't exactly point fingers." Sanosuke murmured, his smile taking on a sadness as he remembered another woman who had shared some characteristics with this stranger.

"You're right about that, sir. But, if what the other boy had said were true, I would have had Kamui when I was but fourteen." the woman said, with a carefree smile; only adding to Kamui's confusion by saying that.

"Then...who are you?" Kamui finally asked, more than a little spooked, by now, by the woman's eerie resemblance to his dead mother.

"Your only blood relation, Kamui." the woman replied, quietly.

"Well, I wouldn't say that that is entirely true...But let's assume otherwise, for now." another voice muttered, as the owner of it jumped down from the treetops above them in a swirl of white.

"I see you have answered the call as well." Saito murmured, as the white-mantled warrior regarded all of those who stood in the clearing.

"I couldn't very well ignore it...It is a call no one involved can deny." the warrior replied, as he turned his gaze to Kamui for the briefest of moments, then the woman.

"Indeed. But this is hardly the place for a discussion. Why don't you all come with me? My house is just down the street from here." the woman offered.

"Sounds great. Will there be tea?" another, more boyish voice asked, as he arrived behind them, with an inugami in tow. The woman chuckled.

"Sure. I'm sure you all would like something to warm you up, after having stood in the rain for so long." the woman stated, her smile not having faded in the slightest.

"Took you long enough to get here, Sojiro." Saito grumbled, irritably, as the inugami returned to his side, and they all started following the woman to her home.

"Gomene, Saito-san. I didn't mean to take so long in returning...But, as you can see, I had run into Hiko-san on my way back...and the weather hasn't been helping matters much." Sojiro replied, apologetically. Saito only sighed. Then his attention turned to the eldest Ten no Ryu; he could sense that something deeper than the battle ahead was bothering him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out just what it was. Tension was showing itself even more prominently in those ebon eyes than when they'd had to deal with Yukishiro Enishi, all those years ago.

"_It isn't often that I see a warrior as experienced as him come into a fight with a soul as rattled to the core as his seems to be, right now. I wonder what else he has seen about the battle to come?_" Saito wondered, as they followed the strange woman back to her home; an uneasy silence settling onto them as the unease within the eldest Dragon spread...

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Finally! An update for this story! I hope it has lived up to expectations! **_

_**Gemini14**_


	4. Signs of Kamui

Chapter Four: Signs of Kamui

All was thoughtful silence, as they waited for the strange woman to return with hot drinks and towels. From his place near the door, Hiko watched the teen known as 'Kamui' closely. Even from where he stood, he could feel the boy's innate power...a power that had yet to properly awaken.

"_He is neither Ten no Ryu, nor Chi no Ryu yet. I just wonder how long it will be before that awakening comes to pass? And what else will happen, when it does?_" Hiko mused, nodding to the woman in thanks when she handed him a towel and mug of hot tea, then moved on to the others.

"You guys look as though you have mountains of questions...especially you, Kamui." the woman said, finally, as she sat down and gazed at the six who now either stood or sat before her. Kamui nodded.

"Well...to start...Who are you?" Kamui asked; his manner direct and to the point. The woman smiled slightly, then proceeded to tell him.

"My name is Magami Tokiko. As you and your friend know, I am the nurse at the school you attend. And...my older sister's name was Toru." the woman stated, as a look of shock appeared on Kamui's features.

"Then you're Kamui's..." Sorata started, before Tokiko nodded and finished his thought.

"I'd be his aunt." Tokiko confirmed.

"I never heard that...from Kaa-san." Kamui said, hesitantly; his confidence slightly shaken, as he looked at Tokiko, and then at the silent, white-mantled warrior that stood behind her.

"_But what made him say what he did, when he met us? Why did he say that Tokiko-san isn't my only relative?_" Kamui wondered, as he turned confused lavender-blue eyes onto Hiko, then returned his attention to his aunt.

"I suspected as much...and didn't think she'd have told you. After all, the last I saw of her, I was still in Junior High. You hadn't even been born yet." Tokiko said.

"Kaa-san never even said she had a younger sister..." Kamui stated, softly.

"No, I guess not. She disappeared from the Magami House...right after she graduated from high school." Tokiko murmured, as a hint of recognition appeared in Kamui's eyes.

"'Magami'?" Kamui asked.

"Hai. That's right...Your mother's maiden name is 'Magami'." Tokiko stated, as some looks of shock adorned the faces of Sorata and at least two of the older Dragons as well.

"Wait a minute! Did you just say 'Magami'?.! 'Ma' the character for 'Truth' and 'Kami' the character for 'God'. Is that how you write it?.!" Sorata yelped.

"And by 'Magami' you mean 'Truth of God'." Saito stated, his amber eyes narrowed, as he thought of it.

"If you two know the name of Magami, then you're certainly no laymen." Tokiko responded, smiling enigmatically over her shoulder at the eldest Dragon for a moment, and then returning her gaze to the five seated before her.

"Then Kamui-kun's mother belonged to the Magami clan." Sojiro murmured, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived at Tokiko's house.

"Toru didn't even tell you about the Magami family? Kamui...did you even hear anything about your father? No details from Toru? No mention of him at all?" Tokiko questioned; getting a shake of the head from the youth as an answer.

"No." Kamui replied, quietly.

"I thought not. So she left without saying a word...not even to her own son. Kamui, the night before she disappeared, my sister came to me and told me her secret. She said she would bear the child of a man...Her gift to the future...the child she bore for this earth..." Tokiko said, as she remembered the final words from her sister with clarity.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_Kamui's Shinken has been stolen. The one who had taken it is almost certain to be one of the Seven Harbingers!_" Hinoto had said, as a teenaged girl, and a former okashira silently assess the situation at the shrine where the sword had been held.

"_There is a visitor from Koya with Kamui now_..._as well as four Ten no Ryu from Japan's past._" Hinoto said, calmly.

"And the one from Koya...he is..." the girl started to say, as the blind dreamseer nodded to confirm her thoughts.

"_I know. One of the modern Seven Seals. The same as you, Arashi-san._" Hinoto stated, matter-of-factly.

"Then one of today's Ten no Ryu was in Koya." Aoshi murmured, as he again melted from the shadows; startling Arashi somewhat with his sudden arrival (but, by now, Hinoto, Sohi and Hien were used to his comings and goings).

"_Indeed_..._No one can stop it, now. The final battle that will decide the fate of this earth_..._It has begun. Arashi-san, Shinomori-sama_..._Please, look after Kamui_..._and the earth. Protect them._" Hinoto had pleaded, before they had left on their task to find Kamui.

"'To' the character for 'Sword' and 'Gakushi' the character for 'hide'...Hidden Sword...the answer was right in front of us, and we never even gave it a second glance." Aoshi murmured, as he thoughtfully touched the pillar beside him, and sighed.

"True enough. Yet, there is no time for regrets. The battle that is coming won't allow any time for it." Arashi said, coolly.

"That much has already been determined..." Aoshi agreed, turning when he sensed someone coming. Trusting in the older warrior's instincts, Arashi followed his ice-blue gaze; feeling some surprise when she saw a rather normal-looking man standing there with what appeared to be a folder tucked under his arm.

"_This man_..._who is he? I sense no animosity or malice_..._and yet_..._there's __something_" Arashi mused, jerking to attention when the sounds of running feet came their way, and what appeared to be men in black suits surrounded them.

"_Can't sense any ki_..._So they aren't alive_..." Aoshi silently noted, as he effortlessly slid his twin kodachi from their sheaths, and stood ready for a fight.

"_Curse zombies. Someone able to send __these__ must be __quite__ the spell-caster._" Arashi unknowingly added, as she and Aoshi stood back to back; eying the undead creatures warily.

"_There would be great panic if we fought here_..._and, even though we don't know who the man is, we can't let him become involved_..." Aoshi thought, as he and Arashi exchanged glances, and nodded. The kekkai were their only choice, now. Before the creatures (or the befuddled-looking man) could react, two kekkai had been erected around them. Arashi could barely contain her surprise when she saw that her kekkai was surrounded by Aoshi's, and also that the man she'd taken to be an innocent bystander was still there!

"_I thought I'd only brought the zombies into it! How did this happen?.!_" Arashi's mind yelped, before she was forced into action. With lightning-fast moves, both she and Aoshi took the fight to the summoned creatures; their blades slicing through them like the paper they truly were. Upon chancing a glance at the man, Arashi was amazed that he was just calmly standing there and watching.

"_He's still calm! Even after seeing the curse zombies and being drawn into our kekkai_..._and that isn't all! There's that something I sensed_..._when we first met_..." Arashi thought, feeling alarm when she noticed a couple of the zombies get past both her and Aoshi, and charge at the bystander.

"_Damn! Can't reach him in time!_" Aoshi silently cursed, before what appeared to be wind blades sliced through the zombies...and that they'd come from none other than the 'innocent bystander' himself! They could only watch as the man effortlessly cut his way through the remaining zombies; his talents as a wind-master coming to light very quickly. Soon, only dissolving 'bodies' could be seen littering the ground, as the air calmed around them, once again.

"As I suspected! They were curse zombies!" the man murmured, quietly, as he picked up one of the spell scrolls and crushed it in his hand; allowing the shattered spell to fly free afterwards, before continuing, "You both erected some splendid kekkai! I don't have anywhere near your capabilities!"

"Don't sell yourself too short. No ordinary man could have held his own so well against those creatures." Aoshi said, getting an abashed smile from the man as a response to the praise.

"Then this makes you..." Arashi started to say, before getting a nod which confirmed her suspicions.

"I'm in the same situation as you two." he stated; his smile not fading in the slightest.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Hiko flinched when he felt a kekkai go up close by; coming close to dropping the cup he held in his hands by doing so. When he chanced a look around, he saw that his fellow Dragons had reacted as well. Sanosuke was rubbing his temples and wincing slightly, as were Sojiro and Sorata. Saito, on the other hand, actually looked spooked.

"My ears...ringing? No...It's something else..." Kamui muttered, having sensed the disturbance as well, and had a hand over one ear.

"Itai! Someone must've set up a kekkai..." Sorata murmured, getting a perplexed look from Kamui for his comment.

"Kekkai?" Kamui questioned, confusedly.

"They are shields that only the Seven Seals can create." Hiko said, breaking his silence for the first time since he'd arrived within the house.

"Yeah...It's close...this neighborhood..." Sanosuke muttered, as he tried focusing on the center of the shield.

"_The ones destined for involvement_..._in the end of the world_..._are beginning to realize that Kamui has returned! And they are all gathering in Tokyo_..." Saito mused, hurriedly getting to his feet when Kamui, Sorata, and Sanosuke realized where the kekkai had been erected...and as alarm appeared on Kamui's youthful features.

"Kotori!" Kamui yelped, as he bolted towards the door; worry for the girl's safety clearly seen.

"It's at Togakushi Shrine! Those kids could be in trouble!" Sanosuke added, as he followed the teens, and as Sojiro followed his lead. When the other four had gone, Tokiko gave the eldest two Dragons a soft, sad smile.

"Come back again, any time. And tell Kamui that when he returns, I will tell him about his mother, the Magami Clan, and his destiny." Tokiko said, getting nods from both of the men before they also headed out.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Saito murmured, with an unusual amount of courtesy.

"Don't mention it." Tokiko replied. And then, both men were gone.

"_Such a mysterious aura that one man holds! It almost feels like_..." Tokiko thought, as she stared out the window at the rain-soaked street below, and the figures that were just now disappearing into the gloom...

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Kenshin jerked to attention when he sensed the same feeling he'd gotten the night before.

"_That strange shield has been erected again!_..._No_..._The ki is different, this time_..._but still familiar! Whose is it?_" Kenshin wondered, as he dashed outside, and saw that the kekkai in question had been erected in front of the shrine!

"Himura-san! What is it?.! Is something wrong?" Kotori asked, as she rushed to the door and looked out.

"Stay inside, Kotori-dono! Sessha will be back in a moment!" Kenshin said, as he took off towards the shield; his inhuman speed quickly taking him within the barrier itself. He arrived just as the three people within it were speaking of seals.

"It took you long enough to notice the kekkai, Himura." a familiar voice greeted, as Kenshin skidded to a halt in front of them.

"Shinomori Aoshi...So you are also...?" Kenshin asked. Aoshi nodded.

"Yes. The young lady and this man are also Ten no Ryu...but of this generation. Kishu Arashi and...!" Aoshi began, stopping when the man's pager began to go off (and also because he still didn't know the fellow's name).

"Oh great! I've got to get back to the editorial office! I know we all just met and everything, but...well...I've got to get back to work right away!" the man yelped, hurriedly.

"Quite all right. It's understandable." Kenshin amended, with a smile. As with Aoshi and Arashi, he also couldn't sense any ill-will in the other man, but could easily feel the power that resided within him.

"_And he knows how to use that power correctly, so I have nothing to fear, from him._" Kenshin silently added; watching as he handed the girl a business card with his name and number on it, and then started to run down the street...only to stop, turn abruptly around, and race back over to them.

"Oro?" Kenshin muttered, as the man picke dup his fallen umbrella and handed it to Arashi with an embarrassed smile.

"I know it's a bit late, but here! Please take this! Girls shouldn't stand soaking in the rain. Bye again!" the man said, in a rush, before dashing off again.

"Okay...mind telling me what that was about?" Arashi asked, confusedly.

"No idea..." Aoshi muttered, equally as confused, but not really showing it.

"Orororo." Kenshin added, shaking his head in bewilderment, before looking over Arashi's shoulder at the card she now held in hand.

"Aoki Seiichiro...We will definitely be meeting again!" Arashi said, thoughtfully; as the two elder Dragons silently agreed.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Things are beginning to move towards more action! (Slowly but surely...) I hope this chapter was all right, and that it wasn't too awkward! Thanks in advance for the reviews!**_

_**Gemini14**_


End file.
